19 May,2024 06:58 AM IST | Mumbai | A Correspondent
The bow arch string girder of Coastal Road was launched on Wednesday morning
The second girder on the Mumbai Coastal Road was launched on Wednesday morning. With this launch the Coastal Road is connected on both sides to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, but for the construction of the road over it. The work of constructing roads and waterproofing will take a few more months before the connector is ready for use.
The work of setting up the second bow arch string arch girder began at 3 am on Wednesday. The girder was moved in stages adjacent to the first girder, while keeping an eye on the tidal conditions. Weighing 2,500 metric tons, the girder setup was completed at 6.07 am, after ensuring the cones on all sides were perfectly matched.
"While setting up the first girder connecting Bandra-Worli Sea Link to the Mumbai Coastal Road project, engineers had the flexibility and ample space needed for a smooth setup process. However, setting up the second girder posed a significant challenge due to limited space. Positioning the second girder just 2.8 metres away from the first one was a complex task," said an official from the Mumbai coastal project. The two girders will undergo cement concretisation in the next phase followed by water proofing and laying asphalt road.
The second girder is relatively larger in weight, length, and width than the first one. The first girder weighs 2,000 MT. The second girder measures 31.7 metres in width, 31 metres in height, and spans a length of 143 metres. Various pre-fabricated parts of this girder were manufactured at Ambala, Haryana. On Sunday morning, May 12, a barge departed from the Mazagaon Dock, carrying the second girder for the launch. At present the coastal road is operational only between 8 am and 8 pm on weekdays for south-bound traffic.
